THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE REACTION

[THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE 3RD STAGE OF THE CHUNIN EXAMS]

"What do you mean you can't do it, Lord Hokage?!" The voice of an angry Hyuga Clan Head barked as his hands slammed on the desk of the Hidden Leaf Village's Leader. The old man exhales - blowing smoke from his pipe out of his mouth.

"I understand your anger, Lord Hiashi, but this is something I cannot do - I cannot remove Tigress from the Chunin Exams and have her tried for murder." Hiruzen Sarutobi said as he looked into the pale eyes of Hiashi Hyuga - they were flooded with anger and sadness but a proud man like him would not cry before others.

"Lord Sarutobi, have you forgotten what she has done?! She crippled a member of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family - Neji is currently in some kind of comatose in the hospital and none of the doctors know when he'll wake up! What's more - She's the one who killed my daughter! She killed the Heiress of the Hyuga Clan; that is punishable by death!" Hiashi yelled; tears building up in the corners of his eyes but not falling.

"I know what she has done - I was there when Naruto vowed to avenge his friend's death. As horrible as this crime, you must understand that Hinata was considered a Missing Nin when she ran away from the Hidden Leaf Village. Tigress is of the Mist Village and it was in those lands the two met and Hinata was killed. I have no standing to remove her from the exams and have her tried for murder because it didn't happen on our land." Hiruzen explained. 

"So...that's it? My daughter's killer will roam around the village - walking the streets she walked with her blood staining her sword and claws without punishment?!" Hiashi barked. The old man closed his eyes before exhaling again.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hiashi. There is nothing I can do." That was all the old man said before the Hyuga Clan Head turned on his heel and marched out of the doors with a loud bang. The old man looked at his locked hands on the desk before exhaling in sadness.

"It's never easy for a father to lose their child...even one such as him." Sarutobi said as he stood from his seat and walked over to the glass window; looking down at the streets of his village. 

[Meanwhile - At the Hospital]

"What?! You're kidding, right Shino?!" Kiba barked as he sat in his hospital bed, looking wide-eyed at his Aburame Friend.

"No, I wouldn't joke about this - Before her match with Neji even began, she told everyone that she was the one who killed Hinata; she even had Hintata's Mother's Necklace & showed everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village the memory of how she did it." Shino explained.

"Unbelievable...and she beat Neji?" Kiba looked at his hands as he clenched the sheets that covered his legs - his soul filled with anger. "She killed Hinata...and she beat Neji... Just how strong is this bitch?" Kiba's fangs locked as he growled in his throat before looking back at Shino. "Where's Kurenai-sensei?" Kiba asked - Shino gulped and looked at the ground before he answered.

"She's... not taking the news well. She went to the Hokage to talk about Tigress but he made it clear that he can do nothing about Tigress because Hinata was a Missing Nin and she was killed in the Hidden Mist Village." Shino explained with sadness laced in his voice.

"Damn... that's fucked up. Do you know where she is?" Kiba asked.

"Well..." Shino began.

[Meanwhile - At a Sake Bar]

"Give me another." Kurenai said as she hung her head low - her voice soaked in depression.

"Ma'am, I think you've had enough." The Female Bartender said.

"I don't give a damn if I had enough, I want another!" Kurenai's fist slams into the wooden bar, making the bartender jump in fear.

"Kurenai, there you are." A familiar voice caused the red-eyed woman to look over her shoulder - Her Best Friend - Anko - was standing in the opening of the bar. Kurenai turned back around as the Snake Mistress walked over to her. "Damn, Kurenai, how long have you been here?" When she didn't get an answer, she asked the bartender the same question.

"She's been here since last night, Ma'am." the timid girl said.

"Damn, seriously?" Anko said as she looked at Kurenai.

"After the day I had yesterday, I needed a drink." Kurenai said with a scowl.

"From the sound of it, you had more than 'a' drink. Look, Kurenai, I know what you are going through -" Anko was just off.

"No, you don't know what I'm going through." Kurenai said as she gripped the empty glass in her hand.

"Kurenai, The Hokage told me what happened..." Anko was once again cut off.

"Just because you know what happened doesn't mean you understand what I am going through. Hinata is dead. My student is DEAD. That little girl I was trusted with is DEAD & THAT MURDEROUS BITCH THAT KILLED HER IS STILL WALKING AROUND FREELY WHILE MY STUDENT IS A PILE OF CRYSTAL SHARDS IN THE HIDDEN MIST VILLAGE! HOW COULD POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH WHEN YOU'VE NEVER HAD A STUDENT OF YOUR OWN, MITARASHI?!" Kurenai shot to her feet as she snarled at her best friend - who didn't react to this response. She knew Kurenai was hurting and drunk.

"Kurenai...calm down." Anko said calmly and slowly.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!!!" Kurenai yelled as she rose her fist and threw a drink punch at Anko, who merely sidestepped it and chopped the back of Kurenai's neck, sending the Genjutsu Mistress into a state of comatose; the snake wielder was quick to catch her friend before she fell into the ground. Anko apologized to the bartender and paid Kurenai's Tab before carrying the woman out of the bar.

[Meanwhile - At The Training Field]

Sakura sat under the shade of a tree - hugging her knees to her chest as her dull green eyes looked down at the ground. Sasuke stood a few meters away from her; his eyes trained on the multiple copies of the Nine-Tailed Fox Jinchuuriki attack the original. Ever since the exams - Naruto's blood boiled with each passing second; The Tigress of the Mist was revealed to be his friend's murderer and it was when he learned Hinata loved him; him for who he truly was but he was too entranced with Sakura to see love was right next to him so many times and now it was gone forever.

While his eyes watched Naruto train against himself - his mind was focused on Tigress, or rather - the power Tigress possessed. A power that should be his. The brutality of that power - the way it completely destroyed Neji Hyuga piece by piece was just the thing he needed to make people understand his greatness. The Lantern of Soul was really a crown jewel - if he got control of it, he could revive his clan from the dead. If he couldn't get it himself, he was going to take Tigress from her 'husband', he'd make a better husband than that ice pick.

Sakura was numb from the moment Neji lost his fight against Tigress - the one who killed her Hinata-chan. Sakura herself lost her battle with Ino so she wouldn't move on to the next round to avenge her friend but she knew Naruto was stronger than Tigress and he would put that bitch under for taking Hinata-chan away from her. It was only a matter of time.

- Chapter End -

Amaterasu: Hey, Guys. I know it's small but I've been having headaches lately; I think it's from the rapidly changing weather. Hopefully, I'll feel better enough to give you guys a proper chapter. Until then, see ya later.